Okay, so I’ve been meaning to try making my own chili powder for a while now. I finally got around to it today, and let me tell you, it was way easier than I thought it would be! I decided to go with a copycat recipe of Gebhardt chili powder because, honestly, it’s the only chili powder I’ve ever really loved. It’s got that classic Tex-Mex flavor that just takes me back to my childhood. Apparently, this stuff has been around since 1894, which is wild!
First things first, I gathered all my ingredients. I already had most of them in my pantry, which was a nice surprise. We’re talking about basic stuff here, like:
- Dried ancho chiles (the star of the show)
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper (for a little kick)
- Salt
I then toasted the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Just for a couple of minutes until they got all fragrant. You don’t want to burn them, just wake up those flavors, you know? After that, I took the stems and seeds out of the ancho chiles and tore them into smaller pieces.
Toast the Chiles
Then, I threw the chile pieces into the same skillet and toasted them for a few minutes. You gotta be careful here too, ’cause they can burn pretty easily. Once they were done, I let everything cool down before moving on to the next step.
Next, the fun part! I tossed all the toasted spices, the cooled chiles, and the rest of the ingredients into my trusty spice grinder. You could use a blender too, but I find that a spice grinder gives you a finer powder. Then I just ground everything up until it was nice and smooth. It took a few pulses, and I had to shake it around a bit to make sure everything was evenly ground.
And that’s it! Seriously, that’s all there is to it. I transferred the freshly made chili powder into an airtight jar, and it’s ready to use. I couldn’t resist trying some right away, so I whipped up a quick batch of chili using my new homemade powder. I followed this old-school method where you cook the meat first and then simmer it in broth for ten minutes. Then I added my chili powder, stirred it all up. I gotta say, it was probably the best chili I’ve ever made. The flavor was just so much more intense and complex than what you get from the store-bought stuff. Homemade chili powder truly is on another level. Using it on fajitas and tacos is also amazing!
I’m definitely going to be making my own chili powder from now on. It’s so easy, and the taste is just unbeatable. Plus, it’s kind of cool to know that you’re making something from scratch, you know? If you’re a chili lover like me, you’ve gotta give this a try. You won’t regret it!
